Grandma Lake Wetlands State Natural Area
| Grandma Lake Wetlands State Natural Area | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Location within Wisconsin  Location within the United States | |
| Location | Florence County, Wisconsin |
| Coordinates | 45°48′58″N 88°36′46″W / 45.81611°N 88.61278°W[1] |
| Area | 495 acres (200 ha) |
| Elevation | 1,522 ft (464 m)[1] |
| Established | 1996[2] |
| Owner | The Nature Conservancy and the Door County Land Trust[2] |
| Website | Official website  |
| Wisconsin State Natural Areas | |
Grandma Lake Wetlands State Natural Area is a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources-designated State Natural Area featuring the undeveloped, pristine 44-acre Grandma Lake, which lies in a depression formed during the last glacial period. The lake is ringed by a large, open sphagnum bog mat. The bog mat is surrounded by a coniferous swamp of tamarack (Larix laricina) and black spruce (Picea mariana). The bog mat supports a plant community that is considered diverse and unusual, with several rare species present, including: bog arrow-grass (Triglochin maritima), dragon's mouth orchid (Arethusa bulbosa), livid sedge (Carex livida), small-headed bog sedge (Carex tenuiflora), as well as one of only a few known populations of bog rush (Juncus stygius) in the State of Wisconsin. In 1991, the US Forest Service designated the site as a Research Natural Area. Also, the site is listed as one of Wisconsin's Wetland Gems, by the Wisconsin Wetlands Association.[3][2][4]
Location and access
Grandma Lake Wetlands is located within the Nicolet National Forest, in southwest Florence County, approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of Long Lake. Access is via a walking trail that leads west from Grandma Lake Road, approximately 0.5 miles south of its intersection with Tie Mill Road. A small, brown breeding bird survey fencepost marks the trailhead.[5]
Gallery
Wide, open bog mat on the northeast side of Grandma Lake
Black spruce and tamarack muskeg at the north end of Grandma Lake
A close-up of the bog mat, near the northeast shore of Grandma Lake
References
- 1 2 "Grandma Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- 1 2 3 "Grandma Lake Wetlands". Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
- ↑ Fouse, Fred. "Establishment Record for Grandma Lake Wetlands Research Natural Area within the Nicolet National Forest, Florence County, Wisconsin" (PDF).
- ↑ Wisconsin Wetlands Association. "100 Wetland Gems". Retrieved November 29, 2013.
- ↑ Grandma Lake Wetlands State Natural Area (Map). Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved June 22, 2026.
External links
- Grandma Lake Wetlands State Natural Area Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
- Grandma Lake Wetlands State Natural Area Map Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
- Grandma Lake Wetlands Research Natural Area U.S. Forest Service
- Grandma Lake Wisconsin Wetlands Association